The Vice President of IT is a senior leader responsible for driving the overarching IT strategy and operations across the entire Poultry & Prepared Foods organization. This role involves leading a diverse team of IT professionals, including directors and senior managers while shaping and implementing enterprise-wide IT policies and procedures. The VP ensures that technology is leveraged as a strategic asset to support and accelerate business objectives. As a key member of the IT leadership team, the VP of IT aligns IT capabilities with corporate goals and spearheads digital transformation initiatives at a global scale for their respective business partner(s).
In this senior position, the VP balances strategic leadership with operational oversight, making critical decisions about technology investments and innovation that impact the Poultry & Prepared Foods organization. They are responsible for fostering a culture of innovation within IT and across business units, collaborating with C-suite executives to leverage technology for significant competitive advantage. The VP of IT plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization's technological vision and ensuring that IT is a primary driver of the company's overall success in an increasingly digital global marketplace.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Strategic Planning: Develop and maintain a comprehensive, long-term IT strategy and roadmap that aligns with and supports the Poultry & Prepared Foods organization's IT growth objectives.
- Executive Communication & Storytelling: Articulate the value and impact of IT initiatives to the board of directors and executive leadership, influencing key business decisions through compelling data storytelling. Craft narratives that align technology projects with strategic priorities, leveraging data visualization to highlight ROI, cost savings, and operational improvements. Effectively translate complex technical concepts into business value propositions that resonate with C-suite executives.
- Accountability: Serve as the ultimate point of accountability for end-to-end delivery and performance across all IT domains within the Poultry & Prepared Foods organization.
- AI and Digital Transformation: Champion AI initiatives and lead the company's digital transformation efforts, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation at scale.
- Budget Management: Oversee and optimize the enterprise-wide IT budget, including long-term financial planning and strategic allocation of resources.
- Business Alignment: Develop and execute a comprehensive IT strategy that integrates seamlessly with the overall business strategy, working in close partnership with C-suite executives.
- Compliance and Risk Management: Establish and oversee IT governance frameworks to ensure compliance with industry standards and mitigate technological risks across the Poultry & Prepared Foods organization.
- Contract and Vendor Management: Negotiate and manage strategic partnerships with key technology vendors and service providers to drive value and innovation.
- Executive Communication: Articulate the value and impact of IT initiatives to the board of directors and executive leadership, influencing key business decisions.
- Innovation Leadership: Spearhead the organization's technology innovation agenda, identifying and implementing transformative technologies that create sustainable competitive advantages.
- IT Architecture and Infrastructure: Direct the design and implementation of the Poultry & Prepared Foods organization's enterprise IT architecture and infrastructure to support scalable, secure, and efficient operations.
- Organizational Change Management: Lead large-scale digital transformations, managing change across the organization to ensure the successful adoption of new technologies and processes.
- Security and Privacy: Oversee developing and implementing robust cybersecurity and data privacy strategies to protect the organization's digital assets and reputation.
- Talent Development: Build and nurture a high-performing organization, attracting top talent and developing future IT leaders.
- Thought Leadership: Represent the organization as a technology thought leader in industry forums and contribute to shaping the future of IT in the sector.
Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree, preferably in Information Technology or Computer Science, or a significant amount of relevant experience.
Experience: 15+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with at least 10 years in senior roles.
Special Skills:
- Adaptive Leadership: Demonstrate the ability to pivot organizational strategy swiftly in response to disruptive market changes or technological advancements.
- Advanced Data Analytics: Leverage sophisticated data analysis techniques to drive predictive decision-making and shape long-term business strategy.
- Change Management Mastery: Excel in leading large-scale organizational transformations, effectively managing resistance, and ensuring smooth transitions.
- Crisis Leadership: Display exceptional poise and decision-making skills during high-pressure situations, effectively guiding the organization through unforeseen challenges.
- Cross-functional Orchestration: Seamlessly integrate diverse business units and technical teams to achieve synergistic outcomes and drive enterprise-wide initiatives.
- Digital Ecosystem Architecture: Design and implement comprehensive digital ecosystems that integrate emerging technologies to create sustainable competitive advantages.
- Executive Presence: Command respect and inspire confidence at the highest levels of the organization, influencing C-suite decisions and corporate direction.
- Global IT Governance: Develop and implement IT governance frameworks that ensure compliance and operational excellence across international boundaries.
- Innovation Catalyst: Cultivate a culture of continuous innovation, fostering an environment where groundbreaking ideas are encouraged and rapidly brought to fruition.
- Strategic Foresight: Anticipate future technological trends and their potential impact on the industry, positioning the organization to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
- Transformational Vision: Articulate and execute a compelling long-term vision that fundamentally reshapes the organization's technological capabilities and market position.